Reflector



O. I. HELVEY.

REFL'ECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10. 1920.

1 ,408,597. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER J. HELVEY, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

REFLECTOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER J. HELVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo, in the county of Erie and Stateof New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Reflectors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a reflector which is more particularly intended for illuminating show cases although the same may also be employed to advantage for lighting win- 4 dows and blackboards.

The purpose of this invention is to produce an efficient and durable reflector of this character which is low in manufacturing cost and is composed of comparatively few parts which can be readily assembled and dismembered, and which is neat and attractive in appearance.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the reflector embodying my improvements. Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the same taken on line 22, F ig. 1. Figure 3 is a cross section taken on line 33, Fig. 2. Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional view of the body and the lamp supporting bar showing the form of the same preparatory to assembling the same. Figures 5 and 6 are detached perspective views of the body and one of the heads of the same. Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section of a glass show case showing one of the brackets for supporting the reflector on the case. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the bracket before the same is applied to the reflector and mounted on the show case.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

The body 10 of this reflector is preferably constructed of a single sheet of metal which is bent by any suitable means into substantially U-shaped form in cross section, its side walls being curved so that the front parts 11 of the same are comparatively far apart and form a wide front longitudinal space within the body while the rear parts 12 of these walls are arranged comparatively close together and form a narrow or reduced rear longitudinal channel 13 within the body, this reduced space being closed at the back by the rear wall 14 of the body.

At opposite ends of the body are arranged two heads each of which consists of a trans verse plate 15 which is of the same form as the cross section of the body and engages Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. '7, 1922.

Application filed January 10, 1920. Serial No. 350,611.

with the edge of the body at one end thereof and a flange projecting inwardly from the edge of the plate and having two forwardly diverging curved side portions 16 and front and rear portions 17, 18 arranged substantially perpendicular to the curved parts of the flange and connecting the front and rear parts of the latter. The curved side por tions 16 of the flange of each head engage with the outer sides of the curved side walls of the body at one end thereof, the front parts 17 extends across the space between the front edges of the body side walls and the rear portion 18 engages with the outer side of the back wall of the body. Each of these heads is preferably constructed of sheet metal and the same is slipped on one end of the body and held there in any suitterlocking of these recesses and projections is effected by springing the parts carrying the same over each other and a separation of the same is effected in like manner, the metal being sufficiently resilient for this purpose.

In order to retain the front edges of the side walls of the body in a distended position each of the front parts 17 of the head flange is provided with inwardly projecting retaining beads or projections 21 each of which engages with the inner side of one of the body walls adjacent to one of its front corners and thereby retains the same firmly in engagement with one of the front corners of the respective head.

Within the channel in the back of the body is arranged a supporting bar 22 upon which is mounted the electric lamp 23 which latter is arranged lengthwise in the body. This supporting bar is preferably constructed of U-shaped form in cross section of sheet metal and placed in the reduced channel in the rear of the body so that the concave side of this bar faces backwardly or toward the concave side of the body. For

the purpose of retaining this bar in the body without requiring any special fasten- "verge forwardly and the side parts 24: of

the supporting bar are also constructed to converge forwardly relatively to the front wall 25 thereof, so that when the body and bar are assembled the side walls of the body will press inwardly against the side walls of the bar whereby the latter will be firmly gripped and interlocked with the, body to prevent these parts from becoming detached. To obtain this result the walls of the body are initially s read apart beyond the normal position whic they occupy when assembled and the side walls of the bar are also spread apart an abnormal extent. When thereafter the side walls of the body are drawn inwardly against opposite sides of the walls of the bar these members are reliably held in place after the heads or caps are applied to the body.

The lamp is supported on the bar by securing its base in one end of a tubular angle socket 26 the opposite end of which is secured in an opening in the front wall 24 of the supporting bar at one end thereof so that the interior of the angle socket communicates with the conduit formed between the opposing concave sides of the supporting bar and body. On the exterior of one of the heads of the body is arranged an inlet nipple 27 which is secured at one end in an opening in said head so that this nipple communicates with the conduit between the bar, body and heads. The electric conducting wires 28 extend through this nipple conduit and angle socket for supplying the lamp with current.

The reflector may be supported on the show case, in the window on a blackboard or elsewhere by any suitable means.

As an instance of the use of this reflector the same isshown in Fig. 7 mounted in an oblique position in one of the upper inner corners of a glass show case havlng an upright transparent front wall 29 and a horizontal upper wall 30.

A bracket suitable for supporting the reflector in this case comprises a U-shaped yoke having an angular seat 31 which engages with the exterior of the contracted rear part or back of the body and two transverse arms 82, 33, projecting forwardly from opposite ends of said seat along opposite outer sides of the body and provided at their front ends with inwardly turned hooks 34. which enga e with the opposite front edges of the b0 y, and. a supporting arm 35 arranged in the slit between the upper edge of the vertical wall and the underside of the top wall and having a reversely bent lip 36.at its front end which is secured by a loop 37 -to the upper arm of .n ioaeev the yoke while its rear end is provided with a downwardly turned lip 38 which engages with the outer side of said vertical wall.

The yoke is preferably made of a single 1. A reflector having an lntegral body which is substantially U-shaped in cross section and provided in its rear part with a reduced longitudinal channel, and a lamp supporting bar of U-shaped form in cross section arranged lengthwise in said channel and having its concave side facing inwardly, the opposing side walls of said bar diverging backwardly and the opposing side walls of said channel converging forwardly and engaging with the outer side of the opposing walls of said supporting bar for retaining the latter in lace.

2. A reflector comprlsing a longitudinal body of substantially U-shaped form in cross section, and heads arranged on opposite ends of said body, each. head having a transverse plate engaging with an end edge of the body and a flange on said plate engaging withthe outer side of an end portion of the body, said flange and the adjacent part of said body being provided with co-operating projections and recesses.

8. A reflector comprising a longitudinal body of substantially U-shaped form in cross section, and heads arranged on opposite ends of said body, each head having a transverse plate engaging with an end edge of the body and a. flange on said plate engaging with the outer side of an end por tion of the body, the front part of the flange of each head which extends across the space between the side walls of the body being arranged those parts of this flange which engage with the outer sides of the side walls of said body, and said front part of the flange being provided with internal projections between which and the adjacent side flange portions the side walls of said body are confine substantially perpendicular to 4. A reflector comprising a longitudinal of the bodyand a flange on said plate en being provided with internal projections between which and the adjacent side flange 10 portions the side walls of said body are confined, and the side walls of said body and the corresponding side portions of the head flanges being provided with interlocking projections and recesses.

. OLIVER J. HELVEY. 

